Scarlet Scorpion

Pork You!

2012-02-03T21:47:00.001+08:00

Age has finally caught up with my metabolism. Moreover, I have become lazier and more resigned to the slowly increasing fats in my body. Hiding the gained weight in layers of clothes and an even thicker amount of denial.

This year, I resigned to eat healthier and at least maintain my weight. I am in fact not overweight. But weight isn't the only thing to consider nor the most important. Its actually not so much my weight that I am concerned about but the indulgence in all things oily or fried or submerged in oil. There's the 2 days sleepless marathons that are becoming a weekly habit. Pork, kilos of it. The discovery of junk food and the dependence on Starbucks. Don't even get me started with the fried foods and salt. In short, I despise the unhealthy habits I have acquired.

I pegged this year to be Healthy 2012. I made the switch from white to brown rice and also to wheat bread, of which I am very pleased about. Although I'm not on an exclusive brown rice diet but still it has done wonders for my digestive system. I also made a pact with myself to order fish or chicken when I can, preferably steamed or grilled, when I eat out. I cannot do anything about my family's obsession with pork and all things meat so I'm not even going to try. I'm also trying to find a way to squeeze in some exercise time in my schedule.

However, last weekend I totally lost control. I feel very guilty. So I decided to write this post to remind me of my goals and get my lazy, low EQ self back on track.

My peg for this summer: Victoria's Secret Angel!

Yeah!

Do you have any advice for me on how I can live and eat healthier? :)

More Embarrassing Than The Worst Airport

2012-01-18T08:20:00.001+08:00

So people think its embarrassing to be named as one of the world's worst airport. Well I think nothing could be more embarrassing than to have a 1.16 billion peso budget for an airport when millions of Filipino children are homeless and starving not to mention the thousands of public schools that are ill-equipped and lacking not just in terms of space but also in proper facilities and materials for good education. Good, because right now that is barely feasible for our public school system.

So 7 million airport users are complaining about the ancient facilities in the Ninoy Aquino International Airport. How fortunate for these travelers who have access to the Internet and the different forms of media that allow them to whine and complain about the inadequacy of our airport. If only the uneducated and undereducated had sufficient access to communicate their grievances; these people who will probably never ride an airplane or see a real airport in their lifetime.

Taking into consideration the political turmoil in our country as well as the growing gap between those living well below the minimum cost of living and the 1% of the upper class Filipinos, i find it unnecessary to champion the cause of that airport.

I am not discounting the importance of an airport nor belittling the value of tourism for our country. But a 1.16 billion budget to renovate an airport when there are 2 other working and modernized airports that were made to address the problem of the old airport is a frivolity we cannot afford. Is it not cheaper to fix the issues that are hindering the full use of NAIA 3? Won't the same kind of corruption and issues arise in the renovation of NAIA?

Have people even seen the list? Paris, LA, and Brazil. Do these countries care that they have consistently been in that list? Has it prevented millions of travelers 5 times the amount of those who pass in NAIA from going through those airports?

1.16 billion for an airport that will cater to less than a tenth of the Philippine population.

Where is the social justice in that?

We put such a premium in how the international community view us when they won't even give us a second look. We give our best to serve foreigners while we move away with embarrassment from our fellow Filipino.
The measurement of our worth must not be taken by the standards of others. We have our sore spots but by grace we have our exquisite qualities too. These don't necessarily have anything to do with being world renowned. I hope we can stop looking at other countries and comparing ourselves to them. We are different. We are unique. We are beautiful. I don't need a list to know that.

Resolution # 212: Win an iPad

2012-01-08T00:59:00.000+08:00

This year, I've decided to win an iPad for myself. I fully intend to join all contests, raffles and promos that are giving away iPad. As if to encourage me, my friend Mica Agdamag of LDL Marketing tweeted (at about the same time this thought came to mind) that LDL marketing will be giving away an iPad once it reaches 2012 twitter followers! I consider it as fate :D

So here I am, blogging about LDL Marketing's 2012 promo, joining my first raffle contest for the year in the very hopeful hope of winning an iPad :D

As of press time, LDL only has 291 followers on twitter.

I am urging everyone who has twitter to please follow them and help me win an iPad :D hahaha

YEEEEHHHHEEEEEYYYY!!!!

2012 ~~~ when dreams come true ;D harharhar

For details on how you yourself can join the contest, please check the details in the poster above :)

GOODLUCK TO US!!!

Productive 2012!

2012-01-02T21:39:00.001+08:00

I got the list below from Steve Pavlina's blog. Number 28 talks about consciously doing something in an imperfect way. I fuss about most things that I do. I really do believe that if anything is worth doing, it's worth doing excellently. However, this has also someone set me back in the sense that sometimes, it takes me such a long time to prepare or to fix little details that it leaves me little time to do anything else.

I reckon the list does not really include anything revolutionary nor genuinely innovative. Rather, its appeal to me lies in the fact that they are all things that I have tried to do for myself during these past two years of self-discovery and disclosure to people.

So I hope you can take some time to PRINT, yes print, the list. Go through it and highlight those that most grab your attention and also those that you feel needs to be responded to. POST the list in your bedroom, your study, your refrigerator or any other place where it will most likely be seen repeatedly by you as a reminder for a more productive and more successful 2012. :)

Nuke it! The most efficient way to get through a task is to delete it. If it doesn’t need to be done, get it off your to do list.
Daily goals. Without a clear focus, it’s too easy to succumb to distractions. Set targets for each day in advance. Decide what you’ll do; then do it.
Worst first. To defeat procrastination learn to tackle your most unpleasant task first thing in the morning instead of delaying it until later in the day. This small victory will set the tone for a very productive day.
Peak times. Identify your peak cycles of productivity, and schedule your most important tasks for those times. Work on minor tasks during your non-peak times.
No-comm zones. Allocate uninterruptible blocks of time for solo work where you must concentrate. Schedule light, interruptible tasks for your open-comm periods and more challenging projects for your no-comm periods.
Mini-milestones. When you begin a task, identify the target you must reach before you can stop working. For example, when working on a book, you could decide not to get up until you’ve written at least 1000 words. Hit your target no matter what.
Timeboxing. Give yourself a fixed time period, like 30 minutes, to make a dent in a task. Don’t worry about how far you get. Just put in the time. SeeTimeboxing for more.
Batching. Batch similar tasks like phone calls or errands into a single chunk, and knock them off in a single session.
Early bird. Get up early in the morning, like at 5am, and go straight to work on your most important task. You can often get more done before 8am than most people do in a day.
Cone of silence. Take a laptop with no network or WiFi access, and go to a place where you can work flat out without distractions, such as a library, park, coffee house, or your own backyard. Leave your comm gadgets behind.
Tempo. Deliberately pick up the pace, and try to move a little faster than usual. Speak faster. Walk faster. Type faster. Read faster. Go home sooner.
Relaxify. Reduce stress by cultivating a relaxing, clutter-free workspace. See10 Ways to Relaxify Your Workspace.
Agendas. Provide clear written agendas to meeting participants in advance. This greatly improves meeting focus and efficiency. You can use it for phone calls too.
Pareto. The Pareto principle is the 80-20 rule, which states that 80% of the value of a task comes from 20% of the effort. Focus your energy on that critical 20%, and don’t overengineer the non-critical 80%.
Ready-fire-aim. Bust procrastination by taking action immediately after setting a goal, even if the action isn’t perfectly planned. You can always adjust course along the way.

My list posted in my wall

Minuteman. Once you have the information you need to make a decision, start a timer and give yourself just 60 seconds to make the actual decision. Take a whole minute to vacillate and second-guess yourself all you want, but come out the other end with a clear choice. Once your decision is made, take some kind of action to set it in motion.
Deadline. Set a deadline for task completion, and use it as a focal point to stay on track.
Promise. Tell others of your commitments, since they’ll help hold you accountable.
Punctuality. Whatever it takes, show up on time. Arrive early.
Gap reading. Use reading to fill in those odd periods like waiting for an appointment, standing in line, or while the coffee is brewing. If you’re a male, you can even read an article while shaving (preferably with an electric razor). That’s 365 articles a year.
Resonance. Visualize your goal as already accomplished. Put yourself into a state of actually being there. Make it real in your mind, and you’ll soon see it in your reality.
Glittering prizes. Give yourself frequent rewards for achievement. See a movie, book a professional massage, or spend a day at an amusement park.
Quad 2. Separate the truly important tasks from the merely urgent. Allocate blocks of time to work on the critical Quadrant 2 tasks, those which are important but rarely urgent, such as physical exercise, writing a book, and finding a relationship partner.
Continuum. At the end of your workday, identify the first task you’ll work on the next day, and set out the materials in advance. The next day begin working on that task immediately.
Slice and dice. Break complex projects into smaller, well-defined tasks. Focus on completing just one of those tasks.
Single-handling. Once you begin a task, stick with it until it’s 100% complete. Don’t switch tasks in the middle. When distractions come up, jot them down to be dealt with later.
Randomize. Pick a totally random piece of a larger project, and complete it. Pay one random bill. Make one phone call. Write page 42 of your book.
Insanely bad. Defeat perfectionism by completing your task in an intentionally terrible fashion, knowing you need never share the results with anyone. Write a blog post about the taste of salt, design a hideously dysfunctional web site, or create a business plan that guarantees a first-year bankruptcy. With a truly horrendous first draft, there’s nowhere to go but up.
30 days. Identify a new habit you’d like to form, and commit to sticking with it for just 30 days. A temporary commitment is much easier to keep than a permanent one. See 30 Days to Success for details.
Delegate. Convince someone else to do it for you.
Cross-pollination. Sign up for martial arts, start a blog, or join an improv group. You’ll often encounter ideas in one field that can boost your performance in another.
Intuition. Go with your gut instinct. It’s probably right.
Optimization. Identify the processes you use most often, and write them down step-by-step. Refactor them on paper for greater efficiency. Then implement and test your improved processes. Sometimes we just can’t see what’s right in front of us until we examine it under a microscope.

Seoul Searching Day 2: MBC Network Edition :)

2012-01-01T21:33:00.004+08:00

Autumn I'm in Love <3

One of our first stops is the MBC network. We took a car so I'm afraid I can't offer any help for the directions nor the address. We weren't able to inside the network building but we were able to go around the set of Jewel in the Palace, or maybe a recreation of it. I was too excited to get into the details of the place.

MBC NETWORK!

I do not know exactly how much the entrance fee is. I also do not know if there is a subway or train station nearby since we went via a private car. I'm so sorry I can't be of any more help.

For protection against evil spirits

They say that these statues are place in front of houses to ward of evil spirits.

Softball!

Hanbok for Rent

This is a great place to try the hanbok. There are no lines and you can take as much time as you want wearing them. The hanbok is the national costume of Korea. Different kinds also represent different roles in society. Other places to try on the hanbok are the temples although I'm not sure if all the temples offer it.

Jewel in the Palace

What I'm wearing is for the doctor. My friend with the big headgear is the queen and the other one is the princess.

Not very regal picture ^^

We took about 100 pictures while wearing the hanbok. These are just some of them. There were hardly any other person in the area and we really maximized the rental. It's 10,000 KrW per person :)

Chinggoo is <3

I wish the Philippines had these national costume rentals for the baro't saya for our tourists too!

Fittings :)

Old school torture

The guards will separate the legs of the prisoner to torture him. Ouch.

Me and Seoul

The beauty of it all was overwhelming to say the least.

The road less travelled

Jewel in the Palace shooting location

The place is kind of big so take your time to go around and look over all the little details. Some are fake, some are real. Some walls are made of foam :D

Love

It was autumn in full swing. Trees ablaze with hues of passion set against a perfect slate of blue canvas highlighted by wisps of white feathers. It was my first autumn. I was in love.

Summer is in Autumn

Role playing -,^

I thought our first night in Seoul could not get better. But our first day in Seoul really could not have gone any better.

Kuretake: Allergies and food poisoning

2011-12-22T00:01:00.000+08:00

KURETAKE

My friends and I had dinner at Kuretake in Powerplant Mall, Rockwell. It was supposed to be a night of good food and catching up. But unfortunately, it ended with allergies and an upset stomach which lasted until the next day.

I ordered Salmon Maki and shared it with a friend. We had it as an appetizer. We each ordered our own food so I guess that's why not all of us had an upset stomach. How unlucky for us who had their salmon :(

That's Onigiri (I'm not sure if I got that correct) which is basically rice mixed with salmon wrapped in nori. Two of my friends shared this Onigiri and they got the upset stomach the following day. I'm talking about LBM, fever and vomiting.. on a holiday weekend peppered with parties, shopping and work. Can you spell hassle?

I was the only one who ate the saury and I was the only one who got the allergies. Mind you, I am NOT allergic to any kind of food. So much so that halfway through my allergy attack, I still did not know about it. It wasn't until I murmured that I was getting a headache and they all looked at me and panicked. I had a turned a deep shade of red. It was a good thing my friend had Claritin which eventually lessened my redness although it did little to take away the headache.

It was only my friend who noticed that the saury had a biting taste to it. I simply thought it was because it was smoked.

Still a little red even after taking Claritin

After dinner, we informed the manager, Jose "Tito" Echano about my allergies. He assured us that none of their seafood was frozen for more than 2 weeks old (still a bit too long to be considered fresh if you ask me). He also said that there were other customers who ordered saury but had no reaction to it that night. I just told him to double check the preparation and handling of the food since I have had saury before and never the bad reaction. He assured me he will and sent me a scoop of ice cream.

Did you know that sugar helps control allergic reactions?!?! I never knew!

This is my friend's tofu steak. I took a picture of it because I have never such a huge slab of tofu :D Actually, the food was pretty good.The ebi tempura was simple and very tasty. Even the salmon tasted good. It was just so unfortunate that plans got cancelled the following day (Saturday) and that we had to endure the upset stomach throughout the day. We couldn't drink or eat either because it would just flow through us. I know it sounds disgusting but really, I took Kuretake to be a far classier dining place hardly susceptible to food poisoning.

Po Suk Jung: The Good and the Bad

2011-12-20T13:22:00.002+08:00

I had the best bulgogi I've ever had in Manila at Po Suk Jung and the worst service from a Korean restaurant ever. And I have eaten at a number of Korean restaurants.

We had lunch on a Sunday at Po Suk Jung. There were four medium sized groups dining at the restaurant and 3 servers. We had Bulgogi, Galbitang and Samkyeopsal.

There were five of us but they only gave us one serving of each side dish. It would have been okay except the refill took longer than the food. The kimchi also tasted watered down and it was mostly the hard stalky part of the vegetables. There was hardly any leaf to it. The other side dishes were okay though.

KIMCHI

The bulgogi was served uncooked and our waitress prepared to cook it by turning the heat on high on the portable stove. After a few minutes, the noodles got stuck to the pan and the sauce all but evaporated. We turned off the heat and was greatly annoyed already. We asked for additional sauce and tried to scrape the noodles off the pan. She turned on the stove again. We asked her if they were taught how to cook it and she said no. We turned off the stove and told her what she couldn't see, that the bulgogi had burned from the high heat. It was so regrettable because the bulgogi tasted so good.

The samkyeopsal was cooked nicely but it didn't taste so good. The sauce for it wasn't good either. The worst part was the lettuce's were no longer fresh. It had lots of brown spots already so we had to do a lot of trimming.

The Galbitang remains to be the most successful dish we had there. It was served hot and tasted really nice.

BULGOGI

After paying for our food, I decided to inform the manager about the bad service we got. Every refill or request for water took at about 10 minutes in addition to our burned bulgogi. The manager seemed to be more agitated than remorseful. She proceeded to make excuses and not so politely told me that I had to understand that there were only 3 servers. It was really bad customer service. An apology would have been enough but her curt demeanor merely annoyed us even more. Moreover, they did not inform us that the call button was not working. There were a lot of times when there was no visible waitress in the restaurant and we could do nothing but push the call button in vain.

GALBITANG

I would've gladly went back to Po Suk Jung had it not been for the lousy customer service. That said, I don't think I will be recommending it to anyone unless they do some customer service training.

Po Suk Jung is located at Oranbo drive, Pasig City.

Seoul Searching Day 1: Chingu, Samkyeopsal, Soju.

2011-11-17T23:43:00.002+08:00

After almost a year of planning and waiting and unparalleled anticipation, finally, we arrive :) We took the last airport bus to Seoul Station where we were to be picked up. It was about 10 pm, Korea time when the last bus left the airport.

This is us cold and and giddy with excitement outside the Seoul Station. If your hotel isn't going to be near any of the stops of the airport bus then Seoul Station is a convenient place to get off and from there you may take another bus or the subway.

Isn't it beautiful? I think Seoul Station is open 24 hours but not all the transportation that pass through it is. Buses, trains and subway lines have different times when they stop servicing.

Too bad we did not have the opportunity to take the KoRail.

This is our first official meal in Seoul and it is PERFECT <3

BEST SOJU IS JINRO :D

Samkyeopsal heaven :)

There were so many different kind of meat or pork and we no longer knew what we were eating. All we knew was it was samkyeopsal and it kept on coming and coming together with the soju!!!

HOW TO EAT SAMKYEOPSAL: Cook the meat then get a big piece of lettuce.

Wrap the cooked meat with the lettuce and garnish it with other available vegetables.

EAT IT WHOLE!!!!

And do take in all the yummy side dishes offered. A restaurant in Korea, no matter what cuisine, will most likely offer a side dish. Even an Italian restaurant will serve something on the side though obviously not kimchi ;)

I think this is sort of like caramelized or sweetened onions. But please don't take my word for it. I finished it before I even looked at it :))

Korean coke in a bottle.

Saranghe Kimchi! ^^

If there's too much smoke already, just pull down the chimney-like thing and it will serve as an exhaust. The attendants will also constantly change the coals for you.

BESTEST MOST PERFECT NIGHT EVER!!!!!!

You should also try to the cold noodles. It's literally cold with ice in it! The noodle is also very soft and different from what we have in the Philippines and also from what they use for chapchae.

The night ended early.. in the morning in this little meat restaurant near Miasamgeori :)

SEOUL IS HAPPINESS.

It's only just begun ;)

Ms Universe 2011

2011-09-13T22:33:00.000+08:00

Not having gotten over Ms Universe 2011 and because it proved to me that beauty trumps brain, I decided to do a pulled up bun ala Ms Universe 2011 Ms Angola! Yes I watched the show and no I do not know anyone's name in the competition except for Ms Philippines Shamcey Supsup and judge ms Lea Salonga. I wasn't able to study for my class because I watched Ms U so I hoped to distract my professor with my clean and sleek hair do so he won't give me a low grade :)) good thing I wasn't able to test my theory cos I did not get called for recitation! Yayy!

Anyway, the do' is quite easy. Definitely easier than memorizing and recitation ;D Just pull back slightly damp hair with a fine comb or a bristle brush and then tie your hair. However, you must leave about 7-10 inches of hair after you make the last pull on your ponytail. Use this hair left behind to wind around the ponytail and secure with Bobby pins. I used spray net to tame my frizz but you can also use hair gel :)

I really thought Ms Philippines would win since she was the only one who made a stand, gave a straightforward answer plus she did not use an interpreter. Although Angola is just really pretty and Ukraine had her moments too, I just found Brazil too bland for my taste. I don't like how she walks and I can't believe she got to top 10 and eventually ousted Venezuela and Costa Rica whom I thought was more gorgeous! Plus you can't deny that ms Philippines is just as equally stunning with her thick and long black hair, curves in all ther right places and that mega watt smile! MABUHAY PHILIPPINES!!! ;))

Wake Me Up When September Ends

2011-09-01T22:44:00.001+08:00

I. MISS. BLOGGING.

I have so many things to share and so many pictures to post.

I think this is the longest I have gone without writing and it's sad :(

I must write one real, decent post before September ends.

Yes, wake me up when September ends.

Thank You.

2011-07-23T00:44:00.000+08:00

DAY 3: I am thankful for the comfort of old friends, surprise encounters with strangers and free food :)

2 days ago, I started my own 30-day challenge at my tumblr account, scarletscorpion.tumblr.com. The challenge is to post a photo of something that I am grateful for each day for 30 consecutive days.

Isn't she just a ball of utter cuteness!??!

Today, July 22, 2011 is such a beautiful, blessed, lucky day that not even these 4 photos are are enough to demonstrate how happy I am. As you can guess from my absence in the blogging world, my schedule has just gone haywire these past few weeks. Nonetheless, I am doing this quick post just to introduce this 30 day challenge and maybe to inspire you to do the same.

DAY 2 (July 21, 2011): I am thankful for Starbucks and any other coffee or tea that keeps me up to do all the things I need to do.

Follow my tumblr account at http://scarletscorpion.tumblr.com :)

Fairy godmothers and the little princess

A lot of my friends, myself included, have really felt so much pressure (from different angles and perspectives) and stress (in every imaginable form) this year. However, it has never been my character to focus nor to allot more time than necessary on unpleasant things. Even at our darkest hour and our lowest points, I sincerely believe that God never abandons us. Dark is never too dark if we have faith.

DAY 1 (July 20, 2011): The package I've been waiting for for more than a month has arrived!!! I was singing and dancing with joy, literally :D

Actually, the challenge for me is not what to photograph but what to post out of the number of things I am grateful for. :)

The scene that started it all. I was driving my car on my way home and it was so traffic. I saw these commuters waiting in the middle of the road for an empty jeepney/ taxi/ bus. It was almost 10 pm and I was tired but I can only imagine these people are more exhausted than I especially with the uncertainty of a safe ride home.

Mommy Paola and her little flower :)

In order to remind myself and hopefully others as well, I photograph at least one thing/experience/emotion/person that I can be grateful for each day so I can share it with others.

START THE 30 DAY CHALLENGE OF A GRATEFUL PHOTO EACH DAY NOW!!!

For the Love of a Shoe

2011-06-29T23:22:00.003+08:00

I previously ranted and raved about how much I love shoes - click to read the post here - and about the upcoming I'm Shoe In Love Sale that got postponed due to the typhoon that weekend. And guess what, I may actually have a chance to have some new shoes.. for FREE!!!! And of course, you may too :)

Random: Basils and Turtles

2011-06-28T13:20:00.001+08:00

Look what I got today!!!

I'm so HAPPPYYYYYY!!!! :D

Beauty Booty: Of Make-Up and Photography

2011-06-26T01:06:00.003+08:00

Shu Uemura, L'Oreal, Lancome

There was a private sale. There was an invitation. There was hoarding.

No I'm kidding there was no hoarding. Just necessities for a make-up artist.

I.Am.Joking.

Shu Uemura BG 955 & L'Oreal Infallibue Duo Compact 103 Perma Pink

Oh Honey Honey

2011-06-25T10:26:00.001+08:00

I'm Shoe in Love: An excerpt of love and/or heartbreak

2011-06-18T19:17:00.004+08:00

THE SALE IS PUSHING THROUGH THIS WEEKEND, JULY 6 & 7, SAME VENUE. 50 php ENTRANCE FEE :)

If you read my previous post, you would know that I recently bought a pair of training shoes to "commemorate" my new found interest of going to the gym. I do that, buy shoes when I engage in a new activity or feel good about something.

I love shoes.

Bags are functional and clothes are pretty. But shoes, shoes are special. They make you feel better about yourself and take you to places, literally and figuratively. It is not just for show because aside from some well-known trademarks such as the red sole of Loubotin or the bow of Ferragamo, it is quite difficult to determine the shoe brand unlike bags or clothes that are constantly on display in store windows. Few people pay attention to the shoes of others and for most, a 500 pesos and a 10,000 pesos shoe will not seem much different once worn by someone else. Ah, but good shoes will make you walk tall and give your hips that little swing when you sashay on the streets. It gives you an instant boost of confidence just because you know that great shoes will not let you fall down.

Unfortunately, I am currently at a strict wallet/bank account lockdown/no spending/no shopping/ not even window shopping diet and the first exclusively for shoes sale comes strutting around the corner. What to do? How to ignore this? Or should I not ignore this since this only comes once a year? Lifetime? Why now? Why this poverty?

Toodles y'all. I'm off to bet me some winning numbers in the Philippine Sweepstakes Lotto!!!! HAHAHAHA

2011-06-14T00:23:00.002+08:00

Zoom Quick: You need a training shoe!

2011-06-13T22:31:00.013+08:00

Speaking of change, I am proud to show you the first pair of rubber shoes I have ever owned and bought. Technically, they are called training shoes. Did you know that there is a rubber shoe for specific sports or uses? Running shoes, tennis shoes, basketball shoes, badminton shoes etc all providing a different kind of support for your feet. I got training shoes for use in the gym, no heavy running and mostly to be used in classes such as Zumba and Kickboxing.

I can even put the Nike Sensor thing :D

For someone who's budget is skinnier than Nicole Richie post-Paris/pre-baby period with a schedule that's tighter than Pippa Middleton's ass, going to the gym is a luxury and rubber shoes are a sacrifice.

However, I firmly believe that good shoes will take you to great places hence it is important that you always have the appropriate shoes for the right occasion.

I just wanted to include a photo that isn't about the shoe :))

Plus one other change is the fact that I am composing this post from my mobile phone! It's my first time to upload photos and to write a blog post directly from my phone. I want to see if this is a viable option for blogging should my schedule become crazier :)

What do you think? :)

Starting Today..

2011-06-13T11:32:00.000+08:00

It is never too late to be what you might have been.

-George Elliot

Classic Lindsay Lohan

2011-06-07T23:12:00.000+08:00

LINDSAY LOHAN from V Magazine on Vimeo.

Richard Phillip's short film, "Lindsay Lohan."

Despite the numerous breakdowns and recurring addiction problems, I think people remain captivated by her because she has the kind of beauty that exudes vulnerability and grace in spite of and despite of an undeniable tenacity and ferociousness in her eyes. Lindsay Lohan is a beauty that is demands to be reckoned with.

For more details of the film, please check out Fashion Copious

IdeaPaint: Turn Any Surface Into Your Creative Space

2011-06-06T09:52:00.003+08:00

IdeaPaint can turn virtually anything you can paint into a high-performance dry-erase surface, giving your family a place to interact, communicate and fully explore your creativity.

Tell me this isn't the coolest thing ever?!?!?!

Ye Dang Restaurant: Mashittda!

2011-06-06T09:20:00.001+08:00

ANIANGASEO!!!!

Not So Super Secret Chinese Restaurant

2011-05-27T02:25:00.004+08:00

We first heard about this "super secret Chinese restaurant" from Ping Medina's newspaper column and got intrigued so we decided to visit it.

Camotes Found: Part 2

2011-05-21T02:07:00.003+08:00

On our second day in Camotes, we decided to take a one day tour of the island. We got Pierre who is the husband of Mrs. Tan whom we contacted for our reservation to Borromeo Bahay Bakasyunan. Pierre was also the one who diligently picked us up at the port when we arrived and was our service during the whole trip.

Our second day was quite full because we had to do our day tour and catch the last boat out of Camotes for Cebu city. Our first stop is the Timobo cave. It is an underground cave with a body of water inside. I don't know if it's a river or a spring though. The passageway towards the natural swimming pool is short but a bit cramped. The water is truly refreshing and very clear. At the end of the pool is a small passageway towards another pool but is deeper. We went there to take pictures but preferred to swim in the bigger pool. I am not sure if there is a toilet in this area but if there is we did not use it.

After the cave, we went back to Bahay Bakasyunan to shower, check out and take all our luggage with us. Going back was a nightmare that needs to be discussed heartily some other time. Anyway, so our next first stop is Lake Danao Park. There's really nothing much to do except take a picture. Trust me when I say this, the lake is peaceful and serene and calm. Yes, those words will actually come to mind once you stand in front of this huge, beautiful lake.

The next stop is optional, the Poro Church and can be found in the town of Poro, naturally. It is the oldest church in Camotes. Truthfully, you can skip this unless you are fond of churches. They don't open it unless there is a mass or some other service. I took a picture of the inside of the church by sticking my camera through one of the open windows ;p

Nearby, Buho Rock can be explored for a small fee. Buho got it's name from the small hole created by a mass of land formation attached to the mountain. I wasn't able to take a picture of it because you can only see it from the road coming up the resort. Although the resort does not have a shoreline, you can still swim in the clear water and even jump from one of the decks of the resorts or slide down towards the water. We really wanted to slide down the water but there was no time.

Santiago beach is the most popular beach in Camotes and is the location of Santiago Bay & Garden Resort. We considered staying at this resort since a friend had already stayed here and recommended it but we decided that the beach quality is a more important consideration. Santiago beach is a public beach with white sand too. When we came in the afternoon, it was low tide that is why there is so much shore. You may also rent one of the cottages for a price if you do not want to check in at the resort.

Horses and beaches = LOVE

Last stop is Mangodlong Rock Resort. They have nice accommodations too and even have a swimming pool. They also have cabanas by the side you can rent for a day trip. There were more people here and the beach is also smaller but it's not a public beach. There also seemed to be a new villa being built so it might be interesting in the future.

Finding Camotes Island Part 1

2011-05-08T18:32:00.001+08:00

CAMOTES ISLAND

Camotes Island is a little island off the coast of Cebu. It has several ports which you can reach by leaving through specified ports in Cebu.

Brasilipinas: Good Times are Gonna Come

2011-04-25T21:58:00.000+08:00

Brasilipinas Conexao: Rio de Manila

Inevitable: Anberlin Live in Manila

2011-04-17T23:53:00.001+08:00

I am truly sorry for this very late post. As I have mentioned before, the first quarter of this year flew by so fast and in fact continues to zip past me. I am not complaining because I honestly and hopefully do believe this is all towards a good kind of change/improvement/development.

That said, Anberlin had their first concert in Manila last March 9, 2011 at the A-Venue Hall in Makati. By extreme good fortune and through a good friend, I was able to attend the concert last minute, literally. So last minute in fact that I already gave my camera to someone else who I knew beforehand was going to take pictures for me. I was never able to get it back from him and what you can watch are snippets of the show which he took. It was kind of frustrating not to have my camera with me when we were so close to stage. Bear with the videos and their short intervals. Hope you still enjoy it though :)

You may be wondering how I went from overgrown-screaming-fan-at-Taylor Swift concert (click here for evidence) to body-smashing-at-an-Anberlin moshpit (Relax, I did not actually mosh in the pit).

Here are the two best things I like about Anberlin: 1. They have really great lyrics and 2. Stephen Christian has a really nice voice.

Separation Anxiety No Thanks to Globe Telecom!

2011-04-12T22:49:00.000+08:00

April 14, 2011 marks the first month of my frustrating experience with Globe and the separation with my iPhone 3GS.

On the first week of February, I went to Globe center at Robinson's Galleria to have my iPhone repaired. The nice guy who assisted me told me that I had to update and back-up my phone first before I surrender it to them. He also assured me several times that my warranty will not expire until March 17, 2011. February and March are two busy hell months for me as you could see from the lapses in my blog posts. On the strength of his word, I came back on March 13, 2011, the Sunday before my finals exam, just to have my phone repaired. It really was the only time I had especially considering that you had to allot an additional 2 hours waiting period to do anything in Globe. I made sure I updated and backed up my iPhone accordingly as I was instructed.

After waiting for some time, my number was finally up and I told the girl that I was going to have my iPhone repaired. She told me that she had to update my iPhone first to check it. The update took about an hour. I have two problems with my iPhone. The first one is the battery and the fact that it drains really fast that I have to have the charger with me at all times. The second is a software problem where my iPhone sometimes hangs when an application is open and a call tries to come through. After the update, the girl insisted that I had to bring home the iPhone and come back on March 16, 2011 to see if the update had fixed the problem. She also reassured me that my warranty would expire on March 17, 2011. I asked several times if I could just surrender the phone at that time because it was my finals week. It was the most important exam I was going to take for this year. She insisted that I had to make sure the iPhone was not repaired and I pointed out that the battery could not possibly been fixed by a software update. I had no choice because she would not take my phone despite the fact that I explained to her how difficult it would be for me to go back.

I returned on March 15, 2011 and was finally able to surrender my phone after waiting for more than 2 hours. About a week after that, I got a text message from Globe telling me that Mac told them my warranty had already expired and I had to pay around 32,000 PhP plus charges. I replied and told them that my warranty had not expired and they were the one who told me so. After some agitated exchanges, the girl told me she will try to fix it. After another week, I follow up my phone and she called me again. She said that there was nothing they can do and if I wanted to fix it I had to produce the official receipt. Apparently, March 17, 2010 was the date I registered my iPhone online but the warranty starts on the date when I bought it. She told me to go to Globe to fix the matter.

I went to Globe a few days after that conversation. I talked to their manager and explained my situation. At first she asked me if I would be willing to pay for the 5,000 acceptance fee of Mac for taking a product out of warranty and if I would be willing to pay half of the 32,000. I told her I refuse to put out a single centavo for the mistake that her people made. She was their boss and she should have made sure that all her people knew how to differ the purchase date from the register date of a product. I know that if they will not fix the mix-up with the warranty that they may have to pay for the repair of the iPhone. I have been very patient through all of this. I did not make a commotion nor write to customer service like my friends advised me to. The manager told me that they will update me after a week. It has almost been 2 weeks and still they are telling me that Mac has not updated the status of my iPhone. I do not even know if they will be repairing my iPhone or if they will just return it to me with another lame excuse.

My iPhone is not a video game I use to play with or an accessory I flaunt around. It is a functional cellphone I use to connect with other people and to do business quickly. It has all my contacts and my schedule and notes that I use for business. A month long without my iPhone is a month long of asking people for contact numbers and replying to people who text or call me, "I'm sorry I lost my contacts, who's this please?" I have had to redo my schedule for April and May and now have to carry a notebook all the time. Replying to emails has also taken me days since I oftentimes do not have time to open my computer. My paid applications have also turned into wasted money over the last month. I have recipes, travel plans and lectures kept on that phone.

I do not understand why it is taking two weeks for Globe to tell me whether they will repair my phone or not. I can understand if it is taking Apple some time to diagnose my iPhone but I would at least want to know if I am waiting for anything.

Movies Movies Movies!!!!

2011-04-07T09:27:00.000+08:00

Summer. Is. Here.

Some of the movies I'm looking forward to this year. I posted others in a previous post (click here) and those that are now showing like The Lincoln Lawyer or Rio, I did not include anymore.

Soul Surfer

Blue Crush 2

Pirates of the Carribean: On Stranger Tides

Dylan Dog

Transformers 3: Dark of Moon

VS

X-Men First Class

Water for Elephants

Midnight in Paris

Friends with Benefits

VS

No Strings Attached

Glorified Trailer: Sucker Punch Movie Review

2011-03-25T11:15:00.002+08:00

Sucker Punch is a movie about a young girl who escapes into a fantasy world to deal with the trauma she has experienced. The movie is directed by Zack Snyder, the genius behind 300 and Watchmen. You can expect a lot of the slow motion action shots that make you hold your breath and a way too awesome soundtrack that will get your heart pumping. Sucker Punch is a glorified trailer. It's a beautifully and intricately crafted movie that showcase the dedication that Snyder has put into the film. I believe this is both its greatest asset and its downfall.

Halfway into the movie and I still did not know what was going on. The film begins, and consistently persists, in the highly stylized, CGI rendered, film noir-ish, fetishistic manner that characterizes Snyder's work. But for those expecting bottom cheeks and cleavage induced fights, you will be disappointed. Though the girls are well made up all through out the film, even when they were fighting in a neo-war, their names: Rocket, Baby Doll, Amber, Blondie and Sweet Pea is as kinky as it's going to get.

**** SPOILER ALERT ****

Mayohan: Now Showing.

2011-03-12T08:38:00.000+08:00

MAYOHAN

Last July 2010, I was fortunate enough to catch the premier of Mayohan during the Cinemalaya Film Festival at CCP. I just found out that fortunately for those who missed it, they are showing it in Robinson's Galleria starting on March 9, 2011.

The movie later on won several awards including Best Actress for Lovi Poe, Best Musical Score (Emerzon Texon), Best Cinematography (Dan Villegas) and Best Screenplay (Paul Sta. Ana).

The story occurs amidst May (Mayo is Tagalog for May) festivities in Infanta, Quezon in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Its story is centered on Nino (Elijah Castillo) and Lilibeth (Lovi Poe) and their unlikely friendship. Lilibeth is the bastard child of the town Mayor (Benedict Jhocson) and Nino came to the province from Manila, to get away from the memory of his parents who recently died. It shows the coming of age of Nino, 15 years old and underlines the issues on sexuality and class differences.

I like the story because it did not seem forced like a lot of indie films are. In my experience, indie films tend to characterize themselves too much by the amount of issues they can squeeze in two hours and the quality of avant-garde(ness) of their film. I find that this can sometimes lead to a much too contrived film. Mayohan was able to subtly capture the underlying issues/scandals that occurs during this seemingly innocent festivity. In a small town, where secrets are news and politics is like breathing air, people acquire certain habits or traditions, if you will, that may or may not be so agreeable.

Mayohan captures the intricacies that go into these May festivities without sounding like an expose or documentary. It makes it all the more interesting because apart from the general plot which is boy meets girl and girl meets other boy, you are taken into the little town of Quezon and you get to meet all sorts of characters. I would even consider it as a sort of feel good movie.

Lovi Poe (center), Ping Medina (in black), Benedict Jhocson (right most)

I especially liked the cast for the absence of blank of stares and stiff bodies which I hate most in Filipino movies. Casting was perfect from the wholesome, charming and good-looking mayor hiding the biggest secret to the resident lover boy, Ping Medina (forgot his character's name) to the lola. Every Filipino movie always has a maternal/paternal figure. I don't know who the actress was but she was both regal and down to earth. She had presence even when she was sitting down most of the time with a few lines but she was never theatrical nor over the top.

So go, go, go to Robinson's Galleria and watch!!!

It's Britney B!tch

2011-03-07T23:28:00.001+08:00

BRITNEY FOREVER

It's just how it is. She may not be the prettiest nor the best singer nor the sexiest or greatest dancer.

But it's Britney b*tch and she's the true Queen B.

So despite an infamous breakdown and underwear-less and shaven head, she still gets more followers in YouTube and Twitter despite not having an effective marketing promoting her than those people out and about giving interviews left and right, endorsing products from hair gel to nail polish.

Britney Spears is the princess in all of us, the basketcase that needs to be loved and the superstar that captivates us, whether we are in love with her or annoyed with her.

I hope Britney goes to Manila. I hope she doesn't go through another physical, mental, emotional, psychological breakdown/meltdown/shutdown again. But even if she does, we all know the public will welcome her again and again with open arms. We will continue to scream for her, search for her and be taken by her.

Everyone loves Britney. Forever.

Pictures via fashioncopious

TONGYANG v YAKIMIX: Battle of the Cook Your Own Buffet

2011-03-07T11:33:00.001+08:00

Bear with me because this is a lazy post. I basically just want to compare Tong Yang with Yakimix and hopefully, I can add Sambojokin to this post soon!

TONG YANG

Sometimes you get really hungry and you need to have buffet that does not cost an arm and a leg. When that happened, I ended up at Tong Yang in SM Megamall. It's been a while since I last ate here. I was quite pleased to learn that they have greatly expanded their menu and now they have all sorts of beef and lamb and even crab!

All the meat I got was very good, very tender. I especially like those thinly sliced beef and lamb that you can have especially cut for you. I forgot what it was called. They also have steak but it cost additional. They have several sauces available for cooking but I found it unnecessary because all the flavors got mixed up in the grill. You can also notice a lot of oil in my grill but that's because I put a lot of butter. I used their sauces and I also used butter.

We even made Sinigang but it wasn't so good. It must have been the lack of patis ;p

For desserts they had halo-halo and some fruits. But I only got ice cream and fruits because I was too full for the other desserts. Drinks cost additional.

YAKIMIX

This was my first of three servings. Harhar. Although I had a little help with the meat. I have to say that their meats taste a lot better because it is already marinated. Most of their meat are thinly sliced which was good for easy cooking. I took a lot of the bacon wrapped asparagus and vegetables wrapped in beef but found it hard to cook. You have to keep turning the side and to make sure the beef is cooked thoroughly without burning the vegetable. I also was not able to get their lechon liempo. It looked good though. Plus they had tempura too, not shown in the picture. The maki and the sushi were really good though. I especially liked the Vegas wrap and the Spicy Crunchy Tuna Roll among others whose names I can no longer recall. We wanted to make sukiyaki but forgot about it when we sat down to eat.

GINJA!!! Brasilipinas! It's time to move it move it!!!

2011-03-03T02:42:00.001+08:00

I miss doing CAPOIERA so much! :( I hope I can enroll again this summer. In the meantime, let's all head on out to Rockwell for Brasilipinas Conexao Rio de Manila.

Fashion show. Roda. Free drinks. Free entrance.

No excuse not to go!!! I'll see you :)

Anytime from March 2-6, 2011. Details on the poster :)

Restaurante Damaso, why have you forsaken us?: A food review.

2011-03-03T02:17:00.000+08:00

RESTAURANTE PIA Y DAMASO: Subversive Filipino Cuisine

We ate here because of the all the good things we heard about Padre Damaso's Brazo de Mercedes. No wonder we only heard about their desserts. Their food was such a disappointment. The ambience was really nice and cozy. It is a small place in Greenbelt 5 with really nice Victorian interior. They also had beautiful chairs which is always a plus for me. The price range of the food is from 300-600.

Callos

They have their own version of Callos. It was mediocre at best. At least they did not scrimp on the braised ox tripe. Correct me if I am wrong but there was hardly, if any, chorizo de bilbao too. It's a known fact that Callos gets it's unique taste from the chorizo and ox tripe and garbanzos so it was a bit weird. I like callos when it's a little bit sweet from the sauce and salty from the chorizo. I shall raise this point again if you scroll down.

Shortribs Rioja

This was the tastiest of all the food that we ordered. But the meat was a bit hard to chew and I found it a little too oily. It looked so good and tasty but my mother's mechado tastes way better :(

Pork Belly with Chorizo and Chickpeas

This is where the food went from disappointing to bad. According to the menu, this consists of seared pork belly, chorizo de bilbao and garbanzos among other things. Doesn't that sound familiar? It seems like they used the same recipe for Callos but switched the beef to pork that resulted in the awkward bland entree that it is. The only good thing about is was the generous serving of chorizo which gave me plenty to munch on.

Catfish Adobo Rolled in Bacon

Yes, I am one of those people who like to order food that has bacon in it. Pizza with bacon toppings, pasta with bacon, asparagus wrapped in bacon. I love bacon what can I say. So trust me when I say that the bacon they used here isn't all that good. I prefer my bacon thin and crispy. This was more like thinly sliced pig's fat which is what bacon really is. But if it was the good kind of bacon, I would be saying, this is thin crispy bacon which leaves you wanting more. Do you get what I'm saying? The buttered vegetables were good though :)

Brazo ni Dona Vicki

Thank goodness the Brazo was exactly how I expected it to be. For those who are lovers of yema, you can have your fair share in this brazo which is 70% egg yolk and 30% egg white. But for the best yema balls, you should try out YEMASHITA TREASURE BY DO and JET. Sweet yema balls, home made from the purest of ingredients. No extenders added like those in Dulcinea!!

I got sidetracked. Hehe. Another thing I loved about the Brazo is the caramelized sugar on top. It was my first to eat brazo made that way and it was such a pleasant surprise. Now for someone like me who doesn't exactly have a sweet tooth, that much yema on cake is too much and too sweet. But, I also know people who would buy brazo just to be able to eat that center. So again, it is always a matter of taste.

Tsokolate Eh with Belgian Chocolate

Now, if I could be an expert on any kind of food, it would undoubtedly be for chocolate. I love chocolate. Not in the -i-eat-chocolate-cause-it's-fattening-and-i-want-people-to-think-i'm-cool-for-indulging-on-guilty-pleasure-i-wish-someone-would-give-me-chocolate-so-i-can-curse-it's-goodness-later-and-post-on-twitter/facebook-how-it's-so-bad-and-yet-i'm-eating-it way. I love how chocolate tastes and smells and even how it looks or its consistency in the right temperature. A chocolate drink is actually my second most drank liquid next to water.

My favorite are dark chocolates, at least 70% cacao, sometimes with hazel or almonds but never with fruits or mint. I dream of one day owning my own cacao farm because I know it is the one thing that I will always love. I can even get tired of fashion or movies but never chocolate.

That said, their Tsokolate Eh with Belgian Chocolate is definitely one of the best chocolate drinks I have ever tasted. It's rich and frothy and may be a bit too heavy for those who are not used to drinking chocolate tablea but it's lovely. It's the kind of warm chocolate drink you would love to have while snuggled in a comforter with a book in your room on a cold, rainy night. Sometimes, chocolate tablea can be too dense that you end up taking sips of it then a mouthful of bread or biscuit. For the more commercial types, it is already diluted in milk that you can barely recognize the taste of the cacao. This one, probably because of the Belgian chocolate infused with it, achieves the perfect consistency that leaves you warm and fuzzy inside without drowning you. I must give a warning for those not used to drinking pure chocolate, this could give you a headache after ;p

VERDICT: They should have known better than to name their restaurant after a traitor. Crisostomo at Eastwood is a much better meal :)

You Belong With Me: Taylor Swift Live in Manila

2011-02-26T01:06:00.004+08:00

TAYLOR SWIFT "SPEAK NOW" TOUR LIVE IN MANILA!!!

This is the most difficult concert to get tickets to. The good seats were gone a week after they started selling and in less than a month the show was SOLD OUT already. I really wanted to watch Taylor Swift because I really like her songs much to the shock of a lot people. Prior to the concert though, I had mixed emotions about Taylor. I saw her as a capricious, little queen bee with airs mostly because I thought she sabotaged Demi Lovato and partly because she does seem like it. Haha. Whatever. ;p So we braved the sea of kids all giddy with excitement and found our spot right in front of the stage. BEST.SEATS.EVER. Thanks to a dear old friend who shall remain famously anonymous.

Didn't they say we were the lucky ones?! :D

We missed Sam Concepcion's opening act but we did not miss Sam Milby in the moshpit (slight attempt at humor). Silence in that coliseum was a myth. People screamed and shrieked on cue whenever a light would flicker or air would breeze through the stage, and this was just while waiting for Taylor to get out. Can you just imagine the pandemonium that broke out when she actually came on stage?! Wild. In a really high-pitched, endearing kind of way.

Taylor was a doll. I think with her, you would either get really annoyed at her pa-cutesy acts or be taken by all her theatrics. You know where I stand ;) She sang, she acted, she strutted, she made herself cute and best of all, she interacted with the audience. It seems that the longer the artist is in the industry or the more popular he/she gets, the less they feel the need to establish rapport with the audience. Case in point, Paramore v John Mayer. Hayley even wore that Thrilla in Manila shirt and included Manila in one of her songs. John Mayer barely said hi to the audience. She performed for the crowd while he performed for himself.

Uh-uh-uhoh-oh-hoh.. AAAAHHHHH.. the first note and we go jumping and screaming and the bouncer scolds us like the 10 year old kids we were acting like. Don't you just love concerts for the opportunities it gives you to sing at the top of your lungs without care for anyone?! :)

Taylor Swift did to romance in the 21st century what Alanis Morissette did to teen angst in the 90's.

Mine

Hooray for Superheroes!!!

2011-02-18T12:30:00.000+08:00

GUESS WHO GOT LOST IN YOUTUBE?!

I'm not a fan of the metallic diaper bikini and I did find some parts weird. But hey, it's Britney, she's crazy. Just the way we like her. Britney please come to Manila!!! Stop having your meltdowns and just claim your throne for good!

Why hello Natalie Portman :) Super excited for this one because the fight scenes look really, really good!

I wanted Ryan Reynolds to be Captain America but being the Green Lantern will do just fine. I hope he's as funny as he is a superhero in this film!! And I hope it's not just about him looking good. Where is that drag movie I thought he was supposed to do??

This one I'm undecided. I never really liked Captain America but the trailer looks interesting enough. Again, I hope really, really good combats.

I love Transformers. I love Transformers. I love the action, the robot sound, the machines, even the humor and how it's catered for kids. Although, with Rosie in the movie, I don't know how GP this movie will be. This one I am really, super duper looking forward to :)

Lest you get the wrong idea, I am not a graphic novel/comic book fan. The only comics I ever read was Archie and Superman. Notwithstanding,Superman is my favorite superhero. Hands down. No contest. He, for me, epitomizes what a superhero should be. Strong, dependable, powerful, out of this world and drop dead handsome.

For the 2012 Superman: Man of Steel, they got Henry Cavill as the new Superman. You may have seen him in the Count of Monte Cristo or Tristan Isolde or maybe Stardust. Obviously, he is not your boy next door and suits a more specific type of character roles. Some people don't like the idea that a British guy is playing Superman. I say, look at those jaws first before making any complaints. According to IMDB, he's tried out for the roles of Superman, Batman and James Bond but never got chosen for one reason or the other. He was actually the first choice for Edward Cullen but was too old when the film was made. In December 2005, Empire magazine dubbed him as the most unlucky man in Hollywood. That face and those acting skills, how can he not land a job?! But it seems his luck is changing and finally, a Superman movie!!! <3

FEAR THE BLACK MAMBA!

2011-02-17T10:59:00.000+08:00

FEAR THE BLACK MAMBA!

The Black Mamba, staring Kobe Bryant, Kanye West, Bruce Willis, Danny Trejo, is a Nike Basketball production, directed by Robert Rodriguez. The film brings Kobe’s alter ego, the Black Mamba to life in a way that’s never been seen before.

Watch the trailers below :)

TRY. Believe. LOVE: GARAGE SALE!!!!!

2011-02-12T10:26:00.001+08:00

TRY. Believe. LOVE: GARAGE SALE!!!!!

"SO EXCITED FOR THIS!!!! HOPE TO SEE YOU GUYS THERE!!!"

Fashion. Fashion. Fashion. For the lowest price possible. I LOVE IT!!!

Date A Girl Who Reads: Because You Deserve It

2011-02-12T10:23:00.000+08:00

The entry below was written by Rosemarie Urquico as a response to Charles Warnke's "You Should Date An Illiterate Girl."

I am not fond of reading long texts and most of you probably are not to but I really like some of the things she said. I highlighted those phrases that really struck a cord with me or those that I can relate to the most :) Check it out :D

DATE A GIRL WHO READS

Date a girl who reads. Date a girl who spends her money on books instead of clothes. She has problems with closet space because she has too many books. Date a girl who has a list of books she wants to read, who has had a library card since she was twelve.

Find a girl who reads. You’ll know that she does because she will always have an unread book in her bag.She’s the one lovingly looking over the shelves in the bookstore, the one who quietly cries out when she finds the book she wants. You see the weird chick sniffing the pages of an old book in a second hand book shop? That’s the reader. They can never resist smelling the pages, especially when they are yellow.

She’s the girl reading while waiting in that coffee shop down the street. If you take a peek at her mug, the non-dairy creamer is floating on top because she’s kind of engrossed already. Lost in a world of the author’s making. Sit down. She might give you a glare, as most girls who read do not like to be interrupted. Ask her if she likes the book.

Buy her another cup of coffee.

Let her know what you really think of Murakami. See if she got through the first chapter of Fellowship. Understand that if she says she understood James Joyce’s Ulysses she’s just saying that to sound intelligent. Ask her if she loves Alice or she would like to be Alice.

It’s easy to date a girl who reads. Give her books for her birthday, for Christmas and for anniversaries. Give her the gift of words, in poetry, in song. Give her Neruda, Pound, Sexton, Cummings. Let her know that you understand that words are love. Understand that she knows the difference between books and reality but by god, she’s going to try to make her life a little like her favorite book. It will never be your fault if she does.

She has to give it a shot somehow.

Lie to her. If she understands syntax, she will understand your need to lie. Behind words are other things: motivation, value, nuance, dialogue. It will not be the end of the world.

Fail her. Because a girl who reads knows that failure always leads up to the climax. Because girls who understand that all things will come to end. That you can always write a sequel. That you can begin again and again and still be the hero. That life is meant to have a villain or two.

Why be frightened of everything that you are not? Girls who read understand that people, like characters, develop. Except in the Twilight series.

If you find a girl who reads, keep her close. When you find her up at 2 AM clutching a book to her chest and weeping, make her a cup of tea and hold her. You may lose her for a couple of hours but she will always come back to you. She’ll talk as if the characters in the book are real, because for a while, they always are.

You will propose on a hot air balloon. Or during a rock concert. Or very casually next time she’s sick. Over Skype.

You will smile so hard you will wonder why your heart hasn’t burst and bled out all over your chest yet. You will write the story of your lives, have kids with strange names and even stranger tastes. She will introduce your children to the Cat in the Hat and Aslan, maybe in the same day. You will walk the winters of your old age together and she will recite Keats under her breath while you shake the snow off your boots.

Date a girl who reads because you deserve it. You deserve a girl who can give you the most colorful life imaginable. If you can only give her monotony, and stale hours and half-baked proposals, then you’re better off alone. If you want the world and the worlds beyond it, date a girl who reads.

Or better yet, date a girl who writes.

Together Again: Janet Jackson in Manila

2011-02-12T02:37:00.009+08:00

Janet Jackson "Number One: Up Close and Personal Tour" in Manila.

Look at those babies.

The Manila concert was held at the PICC last February 4, 2011. The show was supposed to start at 8:00 pm but Janet came out at around 9:30 pm. The anticipation was a killer! There was no opening act but they played the music video of Go Deep which was dedicated to Manila. As you can see from my video below, Janet came from the side entrance much to the wild shock and amazement of everyone. The video is shaky because the cameraman beside us warned us that she would be coming from the side and we were undecided whether to believe him or not. See those two guys whom she held hands with and high fived. Ahh I can only imagine how ridiculously worth it the concert is for them!!!

Janet Jackson Intro

The concert was phenomenal! I expected nothing less and Janet delivered. Everybody was literally singing and dancing the whole time! I can't believe that Janet danced with that skin tight leather suit. It looked like it would asphyxiate her at any time. A surprising thing though was to find out that her audience's age group was mostly 30's and higher. We were kind of the kids in there.

Janet Jackson was great with her angel like voice that at times really sounded like Michael's. She was even more spectacular dancing like young boy in his 20's but always with the grace of a pretty young thing.

True to her press release too, she only sang songs from her Number Ones album which was awesome because it meant I knew all the songs she was going to play and I did! What puzzled us though was why she did not perform I Get So Lonely. My only theory is that her uber short hair does not go well with a fedora! I was also hoping she'd perform Call On Me by I knew it was unlikely since it's one of her most recent songs. No worries though, I did not even notice this until it was pointed out to me by my friend so overwhelmed was I with the whole performance already!

Let's Wait Awhile. Again.

One of my most favorite songs of all time is Again. At first, I seriously doubted whether Janet was performing live or not. There was no way she can dance and sing and exude all that energy without panting! But in this portion, you definitely know it was her all the way. Her back-up singers merely had their head down the whole time she was singing. You could also see her catch her breath towards the high note at the end. Janet did not really talk with the audience but her high energy established all the rapport necessary to make the crowd go wild. I think she may have been saving her voice for singing.

Rhythm Nation

This is however, is my most awaited performance :D I knew of Janet Jackson because of Rhythm Nation and that music video that rocked my world. Check out the visual presentation at the back and see how it just makes everything larger than life. Genius. The video is a bit shaky BUT, how can I not dance?!?! Everybody was dancing and arms were flailing and heads where rocking. Ahhh to be able to watch a concert live with thousands of audiences with you. It magnifies the experience ten fold :)

MNL-HCMC-BKK-CBD: 3 Girls in 3 Countries

2011-02-11T11:59:00.002+08:00

This is the story of how three girls went to three different countries, ate three different meals, rode three different modes of transportation and all in less than 24 hours :)

We had originally booked for Manila-Vietnam with the plan of a side trip to Cambodia. Upon further research though, we somehow justified that going to Cambodia via Bangkok would be cheaper and more practicable. Tadaah. Bangkok is booked!

Goodbye Manila! You are much loved but you were not missed in this trip :) We had an 11:30 pm flight for MNL-HCMC. The pitfalls of these cheap airfares are the horrible hours but I maintain it's a small price to pay for cheap travel!

We arrived at 1:35 am in HCMC but their time is an hour behind ours. Because of the ungodly hour of travel, there was no hassle at all with our baggage or with immigration. The tricky part was asking help from the Vietnamese guards who couldn't speak English. We were trying to ask him if we can hang around the area where the taxi offices and money changer are located, just after immigration but before you step out the airport but he simply kept signaling for us to go outside. There were no visible taxis outside and only a few people possibly waiting for the arrival of a much later flight.

Arrival Area at Tan Son Nhat Airport

Our flight to Bangkok was at 9:45 am and we had decided to not leave the airport anymore to save time, energy and money. We found a way to get back into the airport via gate 4 and we went up the second floor. We found ourselves in the departure area, 3 floors up, where the closed cafes were with no lights and no people so we continued to walk until we eventually found ourselves outside the drop-off area. We tried to settle in one of the benches but it was hot and there was a janitor vacuuming. Imagine our surprise when a couple casually strolls inside past the check-in counters and voila, chairs and air-conditioning!

Tan Son Nhat Airport

This was to be our bed until about 6 in the morning when sunlight streams in and first, a handful of people trickling inside the airport and lounging beside us until a more steady stream of travelers finally invade our space. I suppose it was not so bad as long as you have mentally and physically prepared yourself for it like we did :))

After breakfast, which I will talk about in a different post, we boarded the Bangkok plane finally!

Cute baby!

Just a cute baby on board the plane. Ione Sky in "Say Anything" said she used to see crying babies on planes as a bad omen. Good one this cutie did not cry and it was smooth sailing for us :)

Landed

We arrived at Bangkok before noon but there was a bit of a line in immigration. Just a tip, there are two immigration areas for the Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok and the first one you see almost always has congested, long lines. Go past that one and try your luck on the second one.

Suvarnabhumi Airport

Suvarnabhumi airport is relatively new and really nice too. It reminded me of our Ninoy Aquino International Airport 3 which would be great except it has been converted into a huge baggage counter because of politics. I love airports because of its transient quality. There is always hope of a better future, of an adventure, and of love to be found. I know airports also mean goodbye just as much as it means hello, but at least it is goodbye with a chance of something better and more beautiful that awaits.

Taxi Line in Suvarnabhumi Airport

Once you step outside the airport, turn to your right and you will see this area for the airport metered taxi. We originally planned to take the bus going to Cambodia but Tales of Asia and the Travelfish warned us about being in Poipet past 6 pm. Since it was around 1:30 pm when we finished our lunch, we decided to take a taxi although it was twice as expensive since we could still split it amongst the 3 of us.

CALTEX IN BANGKOK

The lady in charge at the taxi stand first charged us with 3000THB but we haggled for 2000THB. Based from our internet research, it seems like a reasonable price already especially since there was no hassle on the way and our driver was super nice. His name is Mr. Supan Arunpart with code 48673 and he speaks a tiny bit of english. Mr Supan seems like an honest man, which we would soon find out is rare, and his taxi was clean. He also thought us a word or two in Thai. Most importantly, he was a safe driver despite wide roads daring us to fly. We gave him a 200THB tip because there's a chance he doesn't get a passenger on his way back to the city. We arrived at Aran around 5:45 pm and that was with no traffic and only one stopover. It was a short 4 hour ride for us. I highly recommend using him if you want to take a taxi to Aranyaprathet, Bangkok.

Writings on the Roof

Aran, as it is often referred to, is the most popular border town of Bangkok to go to Poipet, Cambodia. Another plus for taking a taxi is that you can get dropped off right outside the immigration building in Aran which is located by the Rongkluea Market.

Once you are in Aran already, you will start to see some signs for Rongkluea that you have to follow. Eventually, you turn left to a busy area and you just follow the boys ushering you in. The entrance to the immigration is marked by a big white building on the right but the entrance is actually on the opposite side where there is a tent with some guards and a table under. You go through another building, which is actually Aran's immigration building and get stamped out of Bangkok.

Kingdom Of Cambodia Welcome Arch

Tangled: Disney and Happy Ever Afters

2011-02-06T03:39:00.003+08:00

Finally, Disney makes a Disney movie!

Tangled is inspired by the story of Rapunzel, the girl with the mile long golden hair, locked away in a tower. Of course, the story had to be modernized and Rapunzel is not your typical damsel in distress and the prince is actually a thief who's real name is Eugene. Really, what's wrong with the occasional damsel in distress being rescued by a prince charming? Ashton Kutcher does it all the time so why can't Disney?! WHY?? Anyway..

The story's pretty simple. Gothel steals and locks Rapunzel away from the king and queen because Rapunzel's magical hair keeps her forever young. Flynn Rider, the thief/non-prince/Eugene, accidentally stumbles on the tower after having stolen the lost princess' crown. He is blackmailed by Rapunzel into taking her to see the flying lanterns that she sees on her birthday every year and their journey begins.

I like the movie because it's light-hearted and it's a musical. Alan Menken, who also made the score for Enchanted, had some pretty good songs in the movie but I still think it lacks the "theater musical" factor that made Beauty and the Beast and Lion King one of the best Disney movies ever. In my opinion, the recent songs in the Disney movies have been stuck in that awkward place between bad, pop music and horrible, perky broadway music. When Rapunzel was doing her solo about being stuck in the tower, it was so reminiscent of Little Mermaid's "Part of your World" except I felt like it lacked conviction. Mandy Moore's voice was really amazing though. It was so clear and high-pitched but not in an annoying, screeching way. I also thought Meryl Streep was Gothel. It would probably have been great if it was her. On the other hand, I cannot believe that the prince's voice came from Zachary Levi aka Chuck Bartowski! I love that show. I watch it all the time and I didn't even know he re-released "Terrified" (love this song too) with Katherine McPhee! I did not even think he could sing!

I also thought that all that hair would have somehow been disturbing but it was not at all. The movie had a rich color palette which I really enjoyed. It was all drawn or made so nicely and cleanly. Rapunzel also had those big, almond, green eyes which were so pretty to look at. I wonder why they don't make those boy-next-door, honest to goodness handsome young princes anymore. More importantly, the movie was quite funny, both for kids and adults alike.

SHOES AND CLOTHES FOR SALE!! Yayyy!!!

2011-01-28T17:39:00.001+08:00

It's not very obvious in my blog, but the thing I love most about fashion.. is shoes. I am a shoe lady. I don't buy bags. I could forego buying pants and shirts. For make-up, I only purchase the essentials. Only dresses come close to my love for shoes. Unfortunately, shoes are the most expensive even when they are not store bought or designer shoes. Plus it's also quite difficult to find the perfect pair whose design you like and whose height you're comfortable with. Not to mention the sole and material that won't leave you crying with blisters and ugly swollen red feet.

I am very fortunate that my good friend, MissDonata is letting go of some of her favorites.

These are some of the shoes she's selling in FindingDonata. All the shoes are size 5 or 5 1/2. I know, she has really small feet. But the clothes, the pretty clothes she's also selling in her other website are of different sizes.

They are all so very cheap with nothing that cost more than 1000. So far ;p

Will you help me pick one?

Or would you like your own?

Go find your perfect pair of shoes or that must-have shirt/dress in FINDINGDONATA.

Tell me which one you found okay? :)

Chicken Charlie: So you think you know chicken?

2011-01-28T17:14:00.001+08:00

CHICKEN CHARLIE

Location: 15 J. Abad St., Little Baguio, San Juan

Contact no: 742-3333

Claim to fame: Highly addictive. Best Chicken in town.

Chicken Charlie has been in Banawe even before Bon Chon came to Manila and got Manilenos all hyped up about chicken wings. True story. Now they have a small nook near Alex III along Wilson Ave in Little Baguio, San Juan.

We were there early so we were able to do some pictorials. Once the clock struck 12, people just came rushing in!

The least greasiest of all the chicken I've tried. It wasn't salty either. The chicken was lean and healthy and a bit dry for my taste. It's the most affordable of all the chicken wings I've tried though. A huge plus for cheapos like me ;)

We ordered the Chicken Bowl for 59 pesos. A satisfying lunch meal that's easy on the wallet.

Generous heaping of rice and soy sauce on the rice. I like it.

However, while the chicken pops (I don't know what else to call it) were crunchy. They were a bit bland for me that's why I ended up eating more rice which had the soy sauce.

We got the ten pieces of chicken wings, half with soy garlic sauce and the other half sweet and spicy. I like the soy garlic of Bon Chon better. You can read my review about it here. Bon Chon's is way tastier and this one was a bit dry. For the hot chicken wings, I liked Chicken Charlie's better because it was spicier. It was great to munch on the really crunchy wings while the spicy flavor kicked in my mouth.

The 10 pieces chicken wings only cost 237 pesos! How cheap is that right? Right?

I found this sticker so amazing. The text is a reflection in the mirror on the side wall but it's really facing the outside. If you read the text from the table it's on backwards but in the mirror it's just right. I find it really amazing. Haha.

CHICKEN CHARLIE.

There's a bit of trouble parking so try to go there before the "rush hour" and also the place is a bit small so you'll have to reserve a table earlier. They don't deliver but you can call them ahead of time so they can prepare your chicken before you pick it up.

Elie Saab Haute Couture 2011: Pretty in Pink

2011-01-28T02:16:00.001+08:00

Elie Saab Haute Couture 2011

I cannot choose a favorite. They are all so delicious and pretty. I want to wear them for Sunday brunch. I want to wear them to a ball. I want to wear them for date night or poker night. Hell, I'd wear them to watch a soccer play.

Dresses are arranged in no particular order. I tried to pick similar styles to go side by side though.

Enjoy!

The Tourist: An affair to remember in 2010

2011-01-27T22:58:00.001+08:00

The Tourist got a lot of bad reviews but I would like to say about what I liked about the film. Remember when I gave The Last Airbender a good review and people complained? I expect that kind of reaction for this one too ;)

The Tourist is about an American tourist (Johnny Depp) who gets picked up on a train to Venice by a mysterious woman (Angelina Jolie). Their unlikely meeting causes him to be shot at and get entangled with the mafia and Interpol. There was a bit of a chase but nothing really exciting.

I think it got bad reviews because of the high expectations people had about the movie. It's not a suspense thriller although that it seems like from watching the trailer and reading a synopsis of the film. I'm sure people were expecting a Mr and Mrs. Smith kind of movie. I doubt Angelina can be in that perfectly fit role again without falling in love.

The Tourist is a light-hearted love story but I wouldn't consider it a romantic comedy. Frank is aloof at best and Elise is too glamorous for any awkwardness. It was a bit weird though to see Johnny Depp with all that clean make-up. I'm used to seeing him with real stage make-up like Edward Scissorshand or Pirates of the Caribbean or pseudo au natural like in Blow. He looked like he had a face lift in the movie.

That said, I liked the movie because Angelina was unrealistically gorgeous all throughout the film and the sceneries and backdrops were all so wonderful. The witty remarks were half-baked but Depp tried. Depp and Jolie were lacking in chemistry that it was kind of hard to believe that there was already a supposed real connection happening. However, close-up shots of Jolie and Depp showed intimate changes in their feelings and moods. I like that, watching people feel. It was unfortunate that they never let their guard down around each other to make that real connection when the movie called for such real, intimacy especially given the plot. Although I think the plot would have been more predictable had they made such an obvious connection.

I think I can forgive the film for lacking more depth in the plot and chemistry in the lead actors because I do enjoy that simplicity. I have a thing for old movies where an hour and a half is long and everyone is beautiful and poised and even complications are fairly simple and can be sung about. Easy. A no brainer but nothing stupid.

I'd watch this movie again for one of those slow lazy Friday nights at home to pass the time and satisfy my cravings for dances and the desire to wear gowns in dances and to dance with men in tuxedos :)

Winging It: Bon Chon. Wings n Things. Don Henrico's

2011-01-23T15:04:00.001+08:00

Wings n Things have been the fail safe wing craving place for me and my friends for a while now. It's convenient location and affordable price (195 Php can get you 4 pieces of wings and rice) makes it a no-brainer for us.

However, just recently, Manila got hyped up about the opening of Bon Chon in Ayala Triangle. The one in Greenbelt just recently opened too.

So, I decided to put the two to test :)

WINGS N THINGS

Location: Food Street, Ortigas Center Julia Vargas Ave., near cor Meralco Ave., Ortigas Center, Pasig City

Contact no: (63 2) 994 - 8887

Claim to fame: Voted Best Wings in Buffalo, NY

New York's Finest

This is, by my standards, the just-right-spicy flavor but I most often order the Firehouse for that little kick. Their chicken is quite small by Western standards but a little something in between small and medium for Filipinos. I always order this with Blue Cheese because it really is such a great complement to the spiciness of the chicken. It sort of cools down your mouth while providing moderate saltiness. I find that the chicken is more spicy than salty or sweet. It's a straight up buffalo wing flavor. Nothing fancy. Nothing extraordinary. Like a 90's film on a stay at home Friday night. It just really tastes good.

Garlic Parmesan

For those who don't like spicy food, the Garlic Parmesan is a great alternative. However, the butter is really rich so it's really quite oily. I like it that way but I know most people won't appreciate the oily feel in their mouth. It's really just a hint of garlic and more on the cheesy side of the taste. It's good to have this on the side, just to mix the flavors a little bit.

Chicken Fingers

The truth of the matter is, I am a white meat eater. I don't like dark meat. I don't really understand the concept of eating chicken wings or legs to the bones. I could finish it but I could never clean the bones. That said, I had to try the Chicken fingers which is basically chicken fillet. It was quite disappointing because the chicken was dry. The coating was very blase which made it even more unimpressive. I would not even eat it with rice as a The good part though was the fries were really good. Crunchy and tasty.

BON CHON

Location: Ayala Triangle Gardens and Greenbelt 1

Claim to fame: Voted the Best Chicken in America

Bon Chon uses the double fry technique from Korea. The first fry is supposed to dry out the chicken fat and make it "paper-fried" crispy while the second fry includes their secret sauce. There always a line here so the place feels really cramped. It was also kind of gross cos when we sat got a table, the family before us left a pile of chicken bones on a tissue paper! They did not even put it in the box. Really people.

There was no exaggeration in that "paper fry crisp." Even though the chicken was really saucy, a bite is bound to pop some crispy cracks in your mouth. As I am not a fan of dark meat, the crispy chicken skin is a really big deal for me. I love crispy chicken skin :) I ate more that I usually would because of it. The sauce was not really that spicy but it had a good feel in the mouth to it. It had a taste to it that I couldn't quite put my finger to but not in a bad way, just different.

I like the wings more because the skin was crispier there. However, it's really a matter of personal preference since both are cooked the same way with the same sauce.

DON HENRICO'S

Location: Tomas Morato cor Sct. Limbaga, Greenhills, SM Mall of Asia, etc

Contact No: Tomas Morato - 332-2201; 332-2254

Before all this imported chicken came to Manila and all we had were beepers, the best and only go-to chicken wings was from Don Henrico's. I had a chance to eat there last year again and we got pizza and the wings of course.

Their buffalo wings comes with ranch sauce already and their portions are bigger. The sauce is tastier and sweeter. It's drenched in sauce like Bon Chon's but unlike Wings n Things. Parts of the chicken are also quite crispy.

The meaty part of the chicken is not at all dry and it's very soft. Just talking about it makes me want it right now! However, the chicken is more expensive here but it's a lot bigger too.

VERDICT:

I like the taste of Wings n Things more because it does taste like the way buffalo wings should. However, the manner of cooking by Bon Chon is really satisfying even if its taste has a little bit of Asian in it. Wings n Things is the cheapest and most convenient for me. There are no long lines, no long wait. The place is hardly every cramped and you don't need to spend on other things. I'd go to Bon Chon if I was craving for crispy chicken wings but otherwise, I think I'd like to avoid the cramped and not so clean place. The pile of bones on our table left such a mark on me. I feel like the whole place is just dirty and they give you like 5 pieces of tissue. Seriously, how are you supposed to eat the wings with that? You have an entire box of tissue for Wings n Things and since Don Henrico is more properly a real restaurant, there's no shortage of utensils and tissue there either.

Overall, I'd still go for Don Henrico's buffalo wings for the taste and the manner of cooking. After all, good food is still good food. For those of you who haven't tried it yet. It's a must try!!!!

I want to try Charlie Chan though!! It's supposedly as crispy as Bon Chon and cheaper! That's next on the list :)

2010 = OMG Music :)

2011-01-14T00:08:00.001+08:00

2010 was a great year for concerts in Manila!

Thank God I was able to watch the concerts I wanted :) I just bought my Janet Jackson tickets and I am really excited. It will be the first concert I will watch this 2011. For those who haven't bought their tickets, I suggest you head out to the nearest Ticketworld booth or call them NOW at 891-9999 because the goods seats are all out and I'm sure it will be sold out very, very soon.

Hopefully, I will be able to watch Taylor Swift (where can I get tickets??), Anberlin and Maroon 5 also!

In the mean time, here's a recap of the ones I went to last year :)

PS You may click on the captions under the photos to read my reviews on them!

JOHN MAYER

John Mayer is sexy. He knows it and he uses it. More than that, I hope people get to appreciate his songs because they really are heartfelt with excellent chords. He may not be John Lennon but in this era, he's definitely one of the bests in terms of writing and singing songs.

DASHBOARD CONFESSIONAL

Even if you may not like their songs, there is no denying that Chris Carrabba is just the kind of boy you'd fall in love when he starts to sing for you. Heart of a poet. Voice of an angel.

PARAMORE

I'm really saddened by the news of their disbandment but still thankful that I was able to watch them perform live before it happened. Such unexpected news.

NE-YO

I never really thought I was such a fan of Ne-Yo until I found my self with no voice after the concert. Apparently, I know all of his songs!

TIMBALAND FEAT JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE

Honestly, I watched this concert because of Timbalands' reputation. He may not be the typical singer with a golden voice that I like, but he is such a great performer with good songs and excellent repertoire. You can't go wrong with Timbaland. Timberlake was just the cherry on top.

USHER

Usher. The highlight of my year. He is surpassed only by Michael Jackson as my most favorite performer. He sang, he danced, he flirted and he gyrated. I was in R n B heaven. As such, my putting a premium on his concert has resulted to this inexcusable delay for my write-up about the concert. Nonetheless, it will be written. In due time.

I thought about this and I realized that my MOST ANTICIPATED concert right now is MICHAEL BUBLE. He's been here before and I REGRET, with every sense of the word, regret not watching him then :( Michael, you're going to be in Asia this March, why can't you include the Philippines in your CrazyLove tour?? PLEASE!!! Hongkong, Malaysia and Singapore are all less than 2 hours away from Manila!!!

Which artists would you most like to come to Manila? :)

ZoomZoom: Fast Relief From Clogged Nose

2011-01-07T00:43:00.004+08:00

Remember my ZoomZoom post about my TreeTop Adventure? If you don't then click this link. This is actually the other half of that post :)

Drixine Nasal Spray is a nasal decongestant that provides fast relief from clogged nose associated with colds, sinusitis, hay fever and other respiratory allergies in as little as five minutes.

It contains 0.05% Oxymetazoline, a direct acting ingredient proven to immediately decrease the inflammation and swelling of the nasal passage allowing air to pass through more freely.

At least that's what they say. So I put Drixin Nasal Spray to the test.

Yes, that's me spraying the inside of my nose in front of everyone while videos rolled and cameras clicked away. It was awkward to say the least but I was the one who had a stuffy nose and since I am the expert with my allergic rhinitis as I had already mentioned here.

VERDICT: IT WORKS!! I sprayed it twice and it felt wet inside. Sam YG jokingly asked me to use another term but that's how it felt like. WET. Like water inside your nose, a bit unusual but not drowning. After a few minutes, I sneezed which I assumed to be my nose's way of "declogging" itself. After 2 sneezes, I felt normal already. Stuffy nose gone! Simple. Easy.

I used Drixine again after two days at home because my allergies were acting up from the cold weather. It still felt wet but this time I no longer sneezed. I even forgot that I used the spray until I picked up the bottle again to put it back in the cabinet.

Sam YG, Mrs. Martinez, Dra. Natividad Almazan

Dra. Natividad Almazan, an Ear-Nose-Throat specialist made it clear that Drixine is not the cure for your clogged nose or allergies. It provides immediate relief for your stuffy nose but will not cure it or prevent it from coming back. It is a "symptomatic relief of decongestion" to be exact.

In my experience, I've since used the bottle several times (the event took place last Dec 2010) and there has never been a need for me to use it again within the day but it does promise a 12 hour relief. It is available in leading drugstores over the counter (no need for prescription). It is safe to be used by adults but after 5 days of continuous use, you must take a break. There is also a pediatric drop available for kids!

Sam YG

This is the first time I have seen Sam YG host an event and he really is funny even without his boys.

We were not all serious because there were games and rides as I told in my ZoomZoom post. Please click here for more details on the rides :)

Here is Carlos in his winning form! ;p I won second place and that's why I got a new Nokia 5130 Cellphone! Woot! I can't believe I won at darts! hahaha What luck :D

Nokia 5130! Completely FREE!!

This is where all the shenanigans happen!

Echoserang Queen

Jeman

Hanging on to dear life? or excited to make the jump?

DRIXINE IS AVAILABLE IN LEADING DRUGSTORES OVER THE COUNTER FOR ABOUT 220 PHP.

For more details on TreeTop Adventure, please click here.

Facehunter Gets Hunted

2011-01-04T22:33:00.002+08:00

I know the chronology of my posts have been weird but at least I'm becoming more regular at this ;)

YVAN RODIC of Facehunter was in Manila last Dec. 29, 2010 for a book signing.

We were a little late so when we arrived he was already giving his talk which was really a question and answer.

It was a bit overwhelming to see all those fashionable people all in one little area (The Forum in Fully Booked, Bonifacio High Street). I didn't know whether to check out the clothes, the shoes or the accessories first.

Noche Buena: Meaty with Love & Blessings!

2011-01-03T23:28:00.002+08:00

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!

I know I already made my New Year post but I really want to do this Noche Buena post because this is the first time I'm cooking my family's Noche Buena and only the second time I have prepared an entire meal. So yeah, I'm excited :))

For Filipinos, Noche Buena is a very important meal which happens during Christmas eve and usually spent with the family. In my family, our tradition has always been to go to mass and then have Noche Buena right before midnight so that when the clock strikes 12, we will be getting ready to open our gifts already.

Kielbasa Sausage

We also grilled some Kielbasa as appetizer.

Fresh Salad

This Fresh Salad comprised of greens and some fruits was the only healthy thing on our menu and it was the least popular! I tried making Citrus Vinaigrette but unfortunately, Figaro's balsamic vinegar which I used was no good and ruined it. We also didn't have any dijon mustard. :(

Adelina's Deboned Ham

Remember that Adelina's Ham I was thinking about here? We served it cold to keep it simple and to not alienate it from the rest of the food served :) Sometimes, we quick fry it with brown sugar to caramelize the ham. It's tastier that way with the saltiness of the ham complementing the sugar and best served with bread.

Mashed Potato

I made my favorite mashed potatoes as accompaniment for the lamb chops. Nothing fancy, just your regular potatoes, milk, butter and seasoning all mashed together.

Herbed Chops

And for the main course, the Herbed Lamb Chop made medium well. I marinated the chops overnight with different herbs and lemon juice and zest and then popped it onto the grill before serving it directly. Lamb chops are no good to eat when they are cold already so it must be eaten hot off the grill.

Garlic Bread

The only other healthy meal that night.

Lasagna

The most laborious of the food I cooked was the lasagna. I put ground beef and some sausages for the sauce and cooked it for an hour and half to make it tastier. I also skimmed some of the one inch thick oil on top of it after. For the layering of the lasagna, I used mozarella and quick melt cheese as a cheap alternative to ricotta cheese ;)

I cooked it for 30 minutes with foil cover and a few more minutes after without cover. Take note that the last layer should be cheese so when you take the foil off you must watch carefully that you don't burn the lasagna.